Carlsbad MMA Event gives fans their money's worth

Javier Minjarez delivers final blow against Brian Castillo in second round of Carlsbad Pro 148 title fight on Saturday. (Matt Hollinshead--Current-Argus)

CARLSBAD-- Punches and kicks. Headlocks and armlocks. Grappling. Body slams and tackles. Loud thumps. Sweat dripping and flying around. In some cases, puking. All a result of striving for one common goal: Making a name for yourself in Mixed Martial Arts.

The City of Carlsbad got a major dose of the increasingly popular sport live at Lake Carlsbad Park on Saturday.

"It's something different," Carlsbad's Austin Wourms said before the event. "It's unique. All the talent that needs to go into it, all the aspects of the game. It's just a very deep sport. I train hard with my teammates, Dakota and Aric. They just push me and help me."

Another Carlsbad native, Jamal Smith, fought Robert Mendez in the 145-pound exhibition fight to start the evening. Right from the get-go, it was non-stop adrenaline. The two went at it, spreading across the entire ring. Mendez won in three rounds.

That fight was just the beginning.

Next came the ladies. Alamogordo's Shyann Farmer squared off against Hobbs' Megan Runnels in the 115 undercard women's fight. Imagine seeing Ronda Rousey versus Miesha Tate in a live fight. The Farmer/Runnels fight brought that same type of intensity right into Carlsbad's own backyard. They didn't disappoint.

When Farmer started walking into the cage with "Down with the Sickness" by Disturbed playing in the background, you knew what to expect. It was time to fight.

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Runnels found a nice groove early with solid footwork and a series of headlocks, but Farmer eventually took Runnels to the ground and starting hitting her repeatedly. Farmer won in the second round.

It was Farmer's first ever MMA fight. It was also significant because Hobbs is especially well-known for producing quality MMA fighters.

"I was very nervous at first. What I tried to do is block the crowd out, [but] it really did help hearing my name in the background. This fight will definitely help me. I have more confidence," Farmer said.

Then, the fans came to their feet, giving Carlsbad's main trio of MMA fighters a very loud and warm welcome. First up, Dakota Munro fought Alamogordo's Anthony Hudson.

In the opening seconds, Munro got tripped up and fell on his back. Hudson took advantage, but later on, the tables turned.

Munro found himself in the driver's seat. He knocked Hudson to the ground. On his back, Hudson was unable to recover. Munro started pummeling Hudson mercilessly. Munro won in a second-round technical knockout.

"That kid is tough as hell," Munro said. "I thought for sure it was going to go to the third round. I'm kind of glad it didn't. I knew I had good cardio. I saw him getting tired. I controlled him, punched him when I needed to. It was just a good fight."

Wourms wasn't so lucky. He lost his fight to Daniel Kartushyn in the 170 undercard. Kartushyn applied a surprise, last-second arm bar to win.

"Last fight, he stood up a lot. So I focused on that. Attacks come from anywhere, even if you're on top," Wourms said afterward.

Wourms' second teammate, Aric Montoya, got the unit back on track. Pinned in the corner against Brad Estrada, Montoya managed to get Estrada off him. With Estrada showing signs of fatigue, Montoya attacked from there and won.

"I just stayed calm, took my time. I kind of let him wear himself out. It worked out pretty well," Montoya said.

Toward the end, Carlsbad was treated to pro-level fighting.

Lubbock's Javier Minjarez defeated El Paso's Brian Castillo in the second round of their Pro 148 fight. Just like all the other fights prior, the emotion was there. Both fighters' trainers screaming from their benches. Fans remained restless. After Castillo kneed Minjarez in the stomach near his sternum, Minjarez recovered quickly and soon put Castillo on his heel. Hovering over Castillo, Minjarez delivered a hard uppercut to Castillo's face and won as a result.

It was quite a conclusion to the event, even though it was already a scorching day - still close to 80 degrees at the end.

"It was fantastic. It was fun, [but] extremely hot. We came out and tried to walk around the car show for a little bit and had to go back. But it was a great show," Minjarez said.

The third annual MMA event, run by Ken Aragon and Aragon Fight Promotions, was a exciting addition to a weekend that already included the local cook-off and car show.

"We get good, good crowds here. We do two a year in Carlsbad, typically. They're crazy, they're fun. Everybody's here to have a good time. A lot of these amateur fighters, they strive to get to the pros," Aragon said with fans screaming in the background. "New Mexico is notorious for excellent MMA fighters. These smaller communities like Carlsbad, Hobbs [and] Artesia have awesome fighters. These fighters in this part of the state, I'd put them against anybody. They are as good as the northern [New Mexico] cities. It's a tough sport. You don't want to do it part-time. It's a lifestyle.

"When it's all said and done - winner or loser - they usually hug, shake hands. Especially in all the AFP cards, we do our own match-making. They're excellent fights. They go the distance. It's something that's really extraordinary."

Aragon also said MMA events help local businesses bring in more money. His goal is to start increasing the number of annual fights from two to three or four every calendar year.

The next upcoming fight will be at the Carlsbad Civic Center on Nov. 29.

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